Em's Envelopes

Obviously, I love recycling and making things out of other things. Envelopes are one example. You can pick up an envelope template pretty cheap or use an old envelope as a template and, hey-presto, you can turn almost any paper item into an interesting and arty envelope. Magazines, newspapers, maps, junk-mail, comics, calendars, sheet music, old books, painted/marbled paper, scrap booking paper, security envelopes... Beats being plain and boring. 

 

I made some envelopes, using an old envelop as a template, out of an old calendar that had great images. I only wish I had thought of using it earlier in the year before I threw the other months out. I great way to use what would otherwise be rubbish. I need to make a few more because I feel these are too precious to use and keep saving them for something..!

 

Envelope template 

Leonid Afremov- impressionist painting

Leonid Afremov is a Russian impressionist artist who paints with palette knife and oil on canvas to create these stunning colour and light masterpieces! He uses a bright and beautiful signature colour palette and magically represents rainy Parisian nights, flowing dancers and streetlights among other subjects. I love the his style! And would love to see one on my wall! Here are a few of my absolute favourites. I love the night street scenes, umbrellas and rain and abstract dancers showing movement and just his colour choice!!

An artist I would be willing to pay money to buy his artwork! Check out his extensive work on his DeviantArt page!

I would love either of these in my house!

Melody of the Night

Stroll In The Fog

Rain of Fire

The Love of Flight

Balloon Show

When Dreams Come True

Sailing with the sun

Midnight Blues

Hesitation of the Rain

Rhythm of Tango

Flamenco Dancer

Waltz

Em's Mosaic Pot #2

I finally got onto the other pot I have had sitting around waiting to be mosaic-ed. I did the first one last year. I stuck with the seaside theme to match the other pot and used mainly blues again. I had to source more crockery from the op shop and added red but also used some tiles and crockery that featured in the first pot. I had collected white shells while on holidays on North West Island, which I also used in the mosaic. I was worried they might look tacky but they turned out really well. I had planned a while ago to do a found object mosaic but found it difficult to source enough things that worked but still had a little blue lighthouse that matched so stuck him on one side. Can you spot it? After brainstorming on Pinterest, I decided to do a palm tree, sea-horse, thongs/flip flops and a sailing boat. My favourite are the thongs.. and the sea-horse..

WIP

Grouting

Palmtree with Island shells

Sea-horse with stone bubbles and eye

Thongs/flip flops with Island shells

Sailing boat (spot the lighthouse)

My two favourite sides

In situ with the other pot

Em's Fireman Sam and KISS Bookmark

Well further to my previous post on the Wicked Witch of the East bookmark I have created more of my own bookmarks with polymer clay based on ideas from 'My Bookmark' Etsy page. I love them! This one I did for my cousin who is a firefighter. I couldn't think of anything interesting or witty to put on the bookmark part. Then I thought, Fireman Sam! He turned out great! I also made some Kiss boots with silver glitter. :( I still think the Wicked Witch of the East is the best and made another of those for Christmas presents.

KISS bookmark:

Em's Gumball Animation

I made a colourful 3D animation in first year of uni using dynamics in Alias Maya of what goes on inside a gumball machine. 
My animation

Em's Wicked Witch of the East Bookmark

I have posted about these awesome bookmarks before and had to make them myself! The Wicked Witch of the East is such a great idea for a bookmark. I got the idea from 'My Bookmark' Etsy page. I used white polymer clay and painted it and added glitter to the shoes. The hardest thing was getting both legs the same. I just didn't know what to put on the bookmark part. When I came across the death certificate I knew it was perfect so printed it and used tea bags to discolour it! Done! I am so going to make these for everyone for Christmas! I want to have a go at some other ideas and tailor each one to personality! I have already started making firemen boots for my cousin who's a firefighter.

Em's Frayed Denim Patchwork Picnic Rug

I have seen a lot of versions of denim rugs and I've had this on the to-do list for a while, waiting to get my hands on some jeans. Then the op shop (thrift store) Life Line had a $2 clothing sale so I bought 7 pairs, spending $14. I cut out as many squares as I could with the 7 pairs of jeans. The size was determined from the size of the biggest back pockets. Then after working out the maximum size I could get from the amount of squares I had I lay them out making a front and back and pinned them together. I didn't bother sewing an x across the squares and I think it looks better. It still holds together fine. The next step was to sew it all together leaving about 1.5cm seams, which turned out to be the hardest part. I broke so many denim needles I lost count. I think 4 packets or about 20 needles. This was because I had to sew through 4 layers of denim most of the time and more when going over seams and pockets etc. The corners were the worst and I had to go over all my seams again to make sure it was all held together, especially at the corners. The next step was to snip the seams about 1/2cm apart. It would be handy with spring loaded scissors but I made do, even with a few blisters. My biggest mistake was snipping too close to the thread and cutting it. I therefore had to go over all the seams again for any holes and sew them. The next part was the most exciting, washing and drying. Bits of denim were all over the house while I was making this so I thought I would take the blanket to the laundrymat to wash it so I didn't clog my washing machine up. At this stage (sorry no photos) I was thinking it looked a bit ordinary but after just the wash it frayed and looked fantastic! I gave it a tumble in the dryer too and then went on a picnic!

7 pairs of second hand jeans

Laying out the front and back

Back

Em's Bowling Ball Garden Lady Bug

I saw these lady bugs made from bowling balls on Pinterest and thought they were really cute. So ever since I have had my eye out for a bowling ball. I saw one at the tip at one stage but didn't get it and regretted it. Then picked one up at the op shop for $7!! So I finally made it! I love it and think it turned out awesomely!! 

I painted the bowling ball with house paint I had lying around masking areas to create the spots etc with tape/contact. I then used black silicone caulking to fill the finger holes and set wire from a coat-hanger for the antenna in it. Finally I used the silicone to glue on black beads to the end of the antenna. He now sits half hidden in the garden.